


Blue Eyes

by Elianara



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Boys In Love, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Din Djarin's Helmet Stays on During Sex, Din talks about weapons rather than feelings, Eventual Smut, Fanfiction of Fanfiction, Fluff and Smut, Love at First Sight, M/M, POV Din Djarin, Soft Din Djarin, Touch-Starved Din Djarin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:20:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28037565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elianara/pseuds/Elianara
Summary: Din supposed it said something about how worn down he was by shitty dives on shitty planets that the first thing he noticed was how pretty he was...An AU where Din and Corin meet before the kid comes into their lives back at the start of season 1.
Relationships: Corin the Stormtrooper (Rescue and Regret)/Din Djarin
Comments: 31
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyIrina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIrina/gifts).



> This was suppose to be bounty hunter meets ex storm trooper and smut ensues. Somehow this pairing resists that though...
> 
> All credit to LadyIrina *we are not worthy* ( in the manner of Wayne’s World) who has made a beautiful thing.

The steady bleep of the fob was satisfying as Din walked into the bar, his armour clearing a path through the crowd. The sooner he caught the mythrol the sooner he could get off this cold, grim planet.

As his vision adjusted to the low light a movement off to his side, more of a twitch, caught his eye. Instinctively he knew it was someone who was especially keen not to be seen. He kept going, if it was yet another bail jumper there was no point in spooking them, but as he stopped to talk to the owner he risked a glance.

Din supposed it said something about how worn down he was by shitty dives on shitty planets that the first thing he noticed was how pretty he was. Delicate featured and dark haired with the most striking eyes Din had ever seen. Din only got to look for a second before the man turned away, folding himself as if he could disappear into the bar’s dingy fabric.

‘Can I help you mando? The owner stood, hands planted on the bar surface in nervous defiance. ‘ I doubt you’re here for a drink.’ His tone was surly, probably needed to be in this place.

‘I’m looking for a mythrol, probably flush with credits.’

The owner waved a hand in the direction of a corner. ‘He might be happier to see you than you’d think.’

The mythrol’s face was being pressed to the table by a large, angry Quarren. It looked like Din was just in time to stop him being parted from some of his glands. It was that sort of town. Din nodded his thanks to the owner and had taken half a step away before turning back.

‘What about him, the blue eyed human by the door?’

The owner smirked. ‘I don’t think he’s in that line of work mando but no harm in asking, he looks hungry.’

Din felt his face burn under cover of his helmet, _blue eyed_ , he hadn’t realised how that would sound out loud.

‘Been here long?’

‘A few weeks on and off, looking for work I guess but there’s not much around. Business is always patchy in the winter.’ The owner leaned in close. ‘You think he jumped bail?’

Din risked a longer look. He wasn’t just pretty, he was beautiful – _mesh’la_. This time he held Din’s gaze for whole seconds, probably by now realising it wasn’t him Din was after. Yes, he looked hungry but also haunted. He was certainly running from something. ‘ Thank you for your time.’ Din laid a credit on the bar and walked towards the mythrol, trying to put blue eyes out of his mind.

Maybe the pretty face had thrown him off his game but the mythrol wasn’t the easy credit he was hoping for. The quarrens who’d been mauling him seemed to think they were entitled to a cut for the loss of whatever his parts would have fetched at the port. They had to be dealt with and it got messy. By the time one had bolted and the other was on the floor the mythrol was heading for the dark rear exit.

Din was on the point of going after him when he saw someone else had beaten him to it. As the quarren struggled below him, Din watched through the gloom as the mythrol was slammed against a wall and then put down hard on the grimy floor. Clearly by someone who knew what they were doing. Din sighed, it wasn’t the first time another hunter had jumped in at the last minute.

As they looked up he realised it was blue eyes. He’d managed to plant a knee between the mythrol’s shoulder blades holding him firm. _Mesh’la_ and _dral_. Din felt a flutter in his gut that had nothing to do with hunger or fear.

Then, to Din’s surprise, he was dragging the mythrol down the room. ‘Where do you want him?’ He asked, looking to Din as if for orders.

He was even more beautiful up close. Especially with his cheeks pink from exertion, almost smiling a little. Even if he did look like he’d had a rough time lately. He held himself slightly awkwardly, like he had a shoulder injury, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

‘Thank you.’ Din finally got out. ‘I’ll take him back to my ship.’ 

‘Want some backup?’ That quarren who got away probably has buddies gunning for you now’

Din didn’t need backup. He’d dealt with worse alone, many times. He didn’t know this man but somehow he found himself nodding. Wanting to indulge himself with a little more of this, whatever it was. 

Outside on the ice Din hailed a speeder, it was somehow unspoken that the man was coming all the way to the ship.

‘Nice line by the way.’ The man ventured as they sped towards the yards. 

‘Line?’ Din had been distracted, gazing at the perfect curve of shoulder that was just visible through the thick jacket. 

‘With him, back there. _‘I can bring you in warm or I can bring you in cold.’_ The man was imitating his voice as it sounded through the modulator . ‘It was…I liked it.’ He turned to look into Din’s visor, eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned.

‘ I hate to interrupt your date but please tell me we’re not going in that thing.’ The mythrol was gesturing with distaste at Din’s ship.

‘Shut up.’ Blue eyes snapped, just as Din was on the point of saying the same thing. 

‘It’s a perfectly good ship.’Din said, he didn’t care what the mythrol thought-he was going straight into carbonite anyway. It was for blue eyes benefit.

When they were dropped off blue eyes turned guard. One hand on his blaster, one on the mythrol while Din opened the ramp. It convinced Din of what he already suspected, he’d had military training.

Once he’d stowed the complaining mythrol Din stepped back down onto the ice beside him. Close enough that Din was sure he could feel body heat.

‘Thank you-I’d still have been chasing him if you hadn’t been there.’ Din fumbled for credits. ‘Here-he’s worth a few credits so I reckon you’ve earned this.’ The first part of this was a lie, the mythrols bounty was pathetic and the handful of credits he was handing over left Din down for his fuel. He’d be fine, he had supplies in the ship and the prospect of more work back on Nevarro. Blue eyes, Din was sure, had nothing.

‘I didn’t do much…you were on your own so..thank you.’ Din pressed the credits carefully into the outstretched palm. The faint brush of fingers registering far more than it should through his thick gloves. It was only then Din noticed the state of his hands, chapped with the cold, bruised across the knuckles.

He gently grasped the wrist and turned the hand over. Blue eyes froze, holding tight to the credits likely wondering if he was going to lose them again.

‘Was this for credits or…?’ Din looked up but blue eyes turned his face away.

‘Rough town. I’ve had worse.’ He straightened a little, pulling to attention but didn’t pull his hand away.’ _Get down!_ ’ Blue eyes yelled, manhandling Din.

Din was thrown with force, armour hitting ice and knocking the air from his lungs. Even though this was suddenly a firefight and both hands were reaching for his weapons Din found himself registering the firm weight landing on top of him, the lean curve of thigh brushing against his knee as the man drew his own blaster. Only for a second. By the time this had reached his brain he had rolled onto his belly and was firing at the quarren. There were now six of them. They obviously thought the mythrol’s glands were worth another go.

Blue eyes was using the ship as cover, crouched against the side. He took out the closest two while Din aimed further away. They made quick work of it, he was a good shot. Soon there was only one, wounded but still coming.

‘Get out of here, I’ve no fight with you!’ Din shouted at the quarren. 

Blue eyes broke cover and advanced slowly, pressing the point with his blaster. The quarren lunged at him but he disarmed it with a move Din recognised. Ruthless, efficient, _imperial._

Din joined the dots. The hand to hand, the way the man moved- as if in formation, the distinctive markings on the blaster he’d caught a glimpse of as they lay on the ice. Din felt anger wash over him yes, but more disappointment.

‘You’re a storm trooper.’ Din spat the words as he clambered to his feet, blaster hovering between the quarren and blue eyes who made a sound of frustration as blood from his nose fell to the ice. The quarren had obviously got a punch in.

‘ _Was_ , I _was_ a storm trooper, actually I was a snow trooper.’ He turned to meet the T visor gaze. ‘How did you make me?’

‘The way you move. Say what you like about imps, they train their troopers consistently. That and your blaster.’

Blue eyes holstered the weapon with disgust. Something in the slack resignation that had taken over his body didn’t sit right with Din. He should be fighting, defiant but instead he just stood there. As if he _wanted_ Din to finish him.

On any logical level Din should do just that. Neither the man orphaned by the empire, or the Mandalorian who knew the horrors it had wrought on his creed should want to do anything but shoot him and leave him bleeding on the ice.

‘Who are you?’ Din said finally.

‘CT-1…’ The man started, his voice catching.

‘No,’ Din broke in. ‘Your _name.’_

_‘_ Corin, Corin Valentis.’ He was holding his hands away from his body, bracing, as if he expected a blow at any second.

‘You,’ Din turned to the injured and almost forgotten quarren who was reaching for a dropped weapon. ‘Last chance, turn and go or I drop you where you stand.’ The quarren turned and loped away as fast his injured leg would carry him. They looked at each other for the few seconds it took the quarren to get to a safe distance. Corin raised his hands, even though Din had lowered his weapon as soon as the quarren turned and left. ‘What are you doing?’ Din asked.

‘I bet I’m worth more than that mythrol. I wouldn’t blame you.’

Din sighed. ‘Get on the ship.’ He gestured Corin toward the ramp and he went, hands clasped in front as if he were already shackled, beaten.

Din took a few long breaths before following. It wasn’t, strictly speaking, that he never did business with imps. The galaxy was altogether too messy at the moment for anything so absolute. As far as Corin was concerned though, the thought never really entered his head.

As Din came through the hatch, he pressed the button to close it and watched Corin flinch as the mechanism clattered. Were they all like this under the armour he wondered, so cowed? He opened a locker and rummaged.

Here, you’re cold and damp.’ He dropped a blanket round Corin’s shoulders. ‘Sit up back where it’s warmer. Corin turned to face him, his face creased in confusion. Din suspected it wasn’t just the weird situation, Corin just didn’t know how to process kindness.

‘There are enough storm troopers out there without me handing one back who had the good sense to run.’

‘Wouldn’t be one more for long though, they’d shoot me.’ Corin said flatly, flopping down.

‘Also, you saved me out there.’

Corin stared at the floor, pulling the blanket tighter. ‘Thank you.’

There was silence for a few moments, Din let it settle before giving in and breaking it.

‘Are you hungry?’ Din realised he hadn’t eaten for some time, it was late, the temperature dropping. He rummaged in a box producing ration bars. ‘It’s not much.’ Corin took the proffered rations hesitantly, as if there was a catch but he ate quickly once he got started.

‘Aren’t you going to eat?’ He said, slowing down his chewing as he eyed Din.

‘Later.’

‘Sorry, I forgot.‘Corin tapped his head to indicate the helmet.

‘Can I ask you something?’ Din moved to sit near Corin, handing him some water before resting elbows on knees. ‘Why did you run?’

‘My family all served. When I went in…’ Corin grinned wryly, ‘I was always going in, never really had a choice.’He stopped to drink and his hands were shaking. ‘I lost the last family I had on the Death Star. Now it’s all gone to shit. Troopers fighting troopers, towns wiped out just to make a point. It’s not what I signed on for. I mean…’ Corin paused to look at his damaged hands ‘I suppose I should’ve known. ‘We were doing forward patrols, solo, on the ice on the other side of this planet. Though what they want with this place, I don’t know. I saw my chance and one day I took what I could with me and just didn’t go back. I managed to get taken on as protection for a trawler, they’re not exactly by the book on this planet. That got me here.’

‘Since then?’ Din pressed.

‘I’ve laid low. Tried to get some more work, but it’s the wrong time of year. Ideally I want to get off this planet. I like the cold well enough but…I’m better a moving target. You got lucky, I was thinking of selling the blaster. To tide me over.’

‘Yeah, I did.’ Din said, though he couldn’t have cared less about the blaster. Corin had relaxed against the side of the ship, eyelids drooping in a half dose.There was an vulnerability to him, it made Din feel exposed himself.

‘Sorry.’ Corin stirred.’ It’s the heat in here. I’ll get out your way.’ He startled a little as he caught Din staring. Din was only too aware how intimidating the visor could be, it was something he cultivated after all, for professional purposes.

‘Stay here.’ Din said, not thinking. He sprang up, rattling a pauldron against the bulkhead in his haste. ‘I mean, it’s dark now, there are ravinaks…No need for you to go back out there tonight.’ He backed away a pace and then moved forward again. ‘I’m going to go up to the cockpit. I sleep up there sometimes anyway, it’s an old ship so I need to…’

‘You don’t need to make excuses. I know you need to eat too.’ Corin tapped his head again.

The truth was he often slept in the cockpit for the background noise. The occasional whirs and clicks of the ship’s systems making him feel slightly less alone. Tonight he’d rather have slept here.

He spun round, making more space between them as he headed for the locker again and pulled out more blankets.

‘Freshers at the back, help yourself to food.’ When he turned back Corin was holding the blaster on his outstretched palms.

‘So you don’t need to ask. I would, in your position.’

Din hesitated for a moment before taking the weapon, automatically checking it. He noticed all over again what distinguished it as imperial. A storm trooper, what next? Getting jawas in to do ship maintenance?

‘Yeah’ Corin said acidly, as if reading his mind. ‘You see what I mean? You should cut the mythrol loose and put me in there.’

Din quickly locked the weapon away with his others. Not liking the self-loathing it seemed to inspire in Corin. He supposed he should say something else but since he didn’t know what,he was almost relieved to see Corin had turned away and was sleeping, or at least appeared to be.

##########

Din watched what passed for dawn break over the ice. He’d slept little, the sounds of the cockpit had somehow been less soothing than usual. He’d gone down to the hold twice on the pretext of using the ‘fresher but couldn’t help stealing a look at his guest. Corin appeared to have slept soundly, curled on his side, peaceful.

Din knew they were, by any code he lived by, now even. He survived by not getting involved in other beings dramas and yet…what harm could it do? Taking him along, dropping him on Nevarro. It was enough of a frontier planet to let him get a fresh start, no one would ask too many questions.

If he _stayed_ on Nevarro, well, Din was there regularly maybe he’d see him again. Maybe there was a way of Corin getting into the guild, he could certainly handle himself better than a lot of the hacks Karga currently worked with. Before it was definitively day Din had embroidered a scenario where Corin was a fellow hunter, their paths crossing occasionally. Maybe they worked together…and that’s when Din knew he was really in trouble because he didn’t like to work with anyone.

He took a gulp of water before putting his helmet back on. Adjusting his armour into position. He consciously reined himself in. Nevarro – yes. No harm in offering. The other stuff was just middle of the night meandering. Decision taken he stood and his hand was on the cockpit door before it occurred to him…what if Corin said no?

He quickly jumped down into the hold before he overthought it. He was prepared to be very gruff, very much the bounty hunter, but Corin was sitting leaning against the bulkhead, knees pulled to his chest and the slight hopeful smile that lit up his face sparked something warm in Dins chest.

‘Hi.’ Corin said softly. Din could only nod in reply till he got up the courage to say what he wanted to say. He opened the weapons locker, effectively hiding himself, and paused. Trying to find a moments peace in the familiar. His next move came to him with surprising clarity. He looked along the neat rows and found what he was after, pulling it out and checking it over. He closed the door quickly, before he lost his nerve.

‘Here.’ He handed the weapon to Corin. Who was halfway to holstering it before he noticed.

‘This isn’t mine.’ Corin made to hand it back.

‘It’s better.’ Din crossed his arms across his chest, brooking no argument. ‘That imperial junk, the only thing it has going for it is not jamming in the cold. This is better, especially where there’s dust.’

‘Dust?’

‘On Nevarro. That’s where this lot are going.’

Din jerked his head in the direction of the freezer. Corin looked alarmed and then confused.

‘Are you taking me in?...but then you wouldn’t give me…’

‘No I’m not taking you in-you wanted to get off this planet. I don’t want to leave you here.’ That wasn’t the form of words Din was going for but it was honest.

Corin moved trained hands over the blaster.

‘Thanks. It’s a nice piece.’ Din knew this. Aside from the blaster he’d modified for himself it was the best he had. Corin holstered the weapon and looked at Din curiously.His expression had lightened considerably at the thought of getting off Maldo Kreis. ‘When do we go?’

‘As soon as we can. Do you have anything here you need to collect?’

‘A couple of changes of clothes back in the ratty room I’m letting.’ Din was already shaking his head.

‘ If it’s anything even vaguely imperial better leave it here anyway and get away clean. We can sort out clothes at the market. I need to go get supplies anyway.’ Now Corin was shaking his head.

‘No offence but you’re not exactly low key in beskar and that was a bit of a skirmish last night. Let me go, I can be discreet.’

Din doubted anyone who looked like Corin could ever be all that discreet but there was something in what he said. Besides, if Din didn’t let him go it would be like he was a prisoner and that was the last thing Din wanted him to feel. 

Corin left the ship shortly after in search of a speeder to the town market. Blissfully unaware that he had a Mandalorian courting gift strapped to his thigh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies this has taken so long. I’ve been lucky enough to get a new job and it’s taken up a lot of extra time and brain space. That and my crisis of confidence around hyperspace travel but more of that at the end…

Nevarro was five day cycles away.

Though the razor crest was small, the layout was such they weren’t forced to share the same space yet Corin sought him out. Spending hours sitting with Din as he worked in the cockpit.

Din was, to his own surprise, happy enough to talk. He started, naturally enough, talking about jobs where he’d came through with the odds stacked against him. The sort of thing Corin might find impressive.

The stories that really made Corin’s face light up though were the ones from when he was just starting out as a hunter. When he’d messed up, made mistakes.

‘None of that was as bad as the time the twi’lek climbed into my lap, came on to me when I was trying to take off.’ Din said, taking pleasure in Corin’s amusement at his younger self’s various stupid blunders.

‘Really? I suppose that was a ploy to get the cuffs off?’Corin’s grin was broad as he lounged in the passenger chair.

‘She assured me she wouldn’t need her hands.’

Corin laughed. ‘Were you tempted?’

‘No. I’d never do that, it would be unethical I…’

Corin held his hand up placating. ‘Bad joke.’

Din continued. ‘The stupid thing was I felt bad turning her down like I was being rude to her. I was pretty green then.’

‘Was she your type?’ Corin’s face, though still pink from laughter had taken on a serious, questioning look.

‘No, I suppose not.’ Din wanted to elaborate but didn’t know how. 

‘Hmm. So what did you do?’

‘It didn’t feel right somehow putting her in carbonite. I cuffed her to the bulkhead in the hold. Never did look her in the eye again. I know that sounds stupid, with the helmet…’

‘Corin was nodding but also suppressing a yawn.’

‘You know if I’m talking too much don’t feel you need to stay up here…’

Corin was shaking his head. ‘No, I haven’t really talked to anyone in a while not since, well…Keep talking, it’s kind of relaxing. Tell me about Nevarro.’

Din talked on for a while as he ran through some systems checks. Finally he realised Corin’s breathing had turned deep and regular. He’d fallen asleep in the chair.

Din stood and spent some moments looking down at him before dimming the lights and leaving him in peace.

####################

Din, as usual, took advantage of the time in hyperspace to do minor interior repairs, clean weapons.

He knew it was a sign that he was becoming comfortable with Corin and certainly didn’t see him as a threat, when on the third day he cleaned all his armour. It was a tedious process but could be a sort of meditative one. His mentor in the creed had spoken about it as dissolving the traces of battles past to prepare for those still to come. Din usually found it at least cleared his head.

Corin had offered to clean the cockpit. Since he was not mechanically minded he had volunteered for all the shitty jobs, though Din felt bad assigning him more than a couple. He worked quickly so Din was still sitting on the hold floor in his under armour when Corin appeared. As he jumped down from the cockpit hatch he turned his head away.

‘Sorry, I didn’t know.’ Corin directed his voice up the cockpit ladder.

It took Din a few confused seconds to realise that Corin had caught sight of his armour free legs and assumed he was without his helmet. ‘No come in, I’m…dressed.’

Corin moved into the body of the hold and his eyes ran over Din. There was so much curiosity in them that Din’s skin almost prickled. He realised this may just be why he’d decided to do this. To let Corin see a little less of the Mandalorian, a little more of the man. He was trying to remind himself he was just a way to get off world for Corin. Din was pledged to the creed, lived on a creaky old ship and rounded up bail jumpers for a living. A ride was a fair exchange for the help with the mythrol especially to a place where Din was going anyway. How could it possibly be more?

Corin stowed his cleaning supplies before sitting a few paces away. Something in the way he moved made Din think that he was measuring the distance though whether out of respect, fear or propriety he didn’t know.

Din picked up a pauldron and began to work on it while Corin surveyed the armour on the floor.

‘Does it weigh you down?’ Corin asked.

‘Feel for yourself.’ Din picked up his breastplate and handed it to Corin. ‘Lighter than you’re used to probably’

‘Trooper armour is nothing like this. Don’t you mind me touching it?’ Corin hesitated as he took the beskar’s weight in both hands.

Din realised that much as he appreciated the respect for his creed he didn’t want Corin to get the wrong idea about his life. There was a code, yes, but bounty hunting was a dirty business. ‘It’s only armour.’ It wasn’t but that was too complicated for now and Corin seemed to have enough of an inferiority complex as it was.

‘Yeah, lighter than I thought. Seen a lot of action though.’ Corin ran fingertips over a couple of obvious dents before carefully placing it beside the rest on the floor.

‘ Do you ever miss your armour?’ Din asked, he was trying to make conversation, tease out a little more information but Corin looked at him as if there were a trap in the question. 

‘I miss…the HUD, it knew everything. I miss some of the other troopers, they were friends, I was part of a team. I told myself, for a while, that I was just trying to stay alive but then I realised they didn’t care if I lived or died and I was better taking my chances. Dangerous I could deal with but when you’re asked to do things you couldn’t begin to justify....’ Corin paused, frowning. ‘Thats not really what you meant…’

In a way it _had_ been what he meant. Din was remembering some trooper armour another Mandalorian at the covert had shown him once. Compared to what a halfway skilled armourer could produce it was a joke. That the empire could produce it, in volume, and then ask their people to wear it with pride appalled him.

He also knew he’d been lucky in a way. If the Mandalorians hadn’t helped him, taken him in, and he’d survived where would he be? What? Actually he had an idea, he’d been an angry kid and there was a good chance he’d have spent time in some other hunters’ carbonite freezer by now. ‘What do you think you’ll do next?’

Corin sighed. ‘I suppose try to find protection or mercenary work, it’s the closest thing to what I’m trained for. His hand came to rest briefly on the blaster at his thigh and something in Din’s hind brain pointed out how good it looked there.

Din nodded in cautious approval. ‘You’ll need to be careful. If I can spot you as an imp others can too.’

Corin looked into his visor sharply. 

‘When I say imp…’ Din backtracked.

‘You meant imp.’ Corin’s voice was flat. ‘I know what I am.’

‘What you were.’ Din corrected, then tried to change the subject. ’That blaster will need a lot of cleaning, especially…’

‘With the dust, you said.’ Corin cut him off, nodding furiously, back straight as if responding to a commanding officer. ‘I’ll look after it.’

‘Look after _you_ Corin. I gave you the blaster so you could look after you.’ Din said. He had flung the rag he was cleaning with to the floor in frustration, flung it hard. It fluttered softly to rest on the armour but given the heavy silence that followed he may as well have flung the armour itself against the bulkhead. He realised with horror that Corin had climbed to his feet to get away from him.

‘I’m sorry.’ Corin sighed out.

‘No, I am.’ Din picked up the other pauldron to work on. He wasn’t really sure what either of them had to be sorry for. ‘It’s different on your own, you’ve got to look after yourself. I think you maybe…’ Din left the _you don’t think you’re worth looking after_ unsaid and moved back on to what he thought was firmer territory. ‘ I’ll give you back that other blaster too. I’ve changed a couple of things.’

‘Why?’ Corin said. ‘Thank you, obviously… but why?’

‘I’m not flying your AWOL ass across the galaxy just so you can get hit by some pirate on Nevarro. You need all the fire power you can get.’ Din said, tilting his head up a little to look at Corin. ‘We all deserve a second chance.’

‘Even imps?’ Corin stared at the armour laid out and sat back down, a little closer to Din this time.

‘You left Corin. You walked out knowing you’d be a marked man, not knowing how you’d feed yourself. That counts for something, with me anyway. What happened to your hands? You never told me.’ Din looked at the injured hands, they were healing, the bruises fading fast.

Corin grimaced. ‘I was at the market, trying to see what kind of price the blaster would fetch. I had the bodysuit on under my jacket, the one that goes under the armour. I know it was stupid but it was freezing and the warmest thing I had. There were two of them, off a trawler in port I guess, and they made me. One wanted to sell me back to the imps on the other side of the planet, the other …we must have done something to him or his because he’d have killed me there and then. I broke his nose, at least that’s what it looked like I didn’t hang around.’

The trawler workers on Maldo Kreis were as a rule physically strong and no stranger to a fight. They had underestimated Corin and Din suspected that if he wound up as a mercenary that would happen a lot. He realised with a pang of something like regret that Corin would do just fine on his own.

####################  
  


‘Hey! Maker, I don’t even know what to call you …hey-it’s okay, you’re on your ship!’

Wakefulness bled in from the edges and as instinct took over Din lashed out. It was the firm grip on his wrist that pulled him back to full consciousness.

Blue eyes were staring at him through the visor with concern, confusion and a little fear.

‘Are you with me?’ Corin asked, the grip on Din’s wrist softening slightly.

Din grunted as he gradually became aware of his surroundings. He was in his bunk, Corin kneeling at his side.

‘Was it a dream?’ Corin asked, the grip on his wrist had changed from the solid force of a defensive move to something soft.

‘Yeah,’ Din croaked, ‘it’s nothing.’

Corin looked like he might ask a question but changed his mind. ‘ You scared me. I could hear you thrashing about in here and I didn’t know whether to come in because…’ his voice faded away, looking at the shelf where Din usually set his helmet before sleep. ‘I thought you might be sick.’

Din propped himself up on his elbows. Now fully awake he was embarrassed. He’d stripped to his shirt and underwear to sleep and usually after these nightmares he’d wake with the blanket kicked off. This time it was tucked modestly round his waist but it’s crumpled condition suggested this was something Corin had done while he was waking up. He was grateful for the gesture but squirmed at the thought of how much Corin had seen.

Corin who was still gently holding his wrist, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin at the pulse point. It was, he supposed, meant to be comforting. Din felt guilty that he, who was rarely touched with kindness, felt something more carnal as well. It didn’t help that Corin was sitting beside him in a thin sleeveless shirt that showed off the strong curves of his arms.

Corin dropped his wrist and sat back on his heels. ‘I know sometimes a fight can get into your head-won’t go away .’

Yeah, it did,’ Din admitted. ‘I was in the middle … and I got trapped, separated.’ It wasn’t the whole truth. He didn’t tell Corin that he’d been a child separated from his parents during the battle, that he was trapped because they shut him in a cellar, sacrificing themselves to protect him. The last time he’d told someone about this had been when he was an angry, terrified fifteen year old. Weeks away from taking the creed. ‘It happens every so often, it’s not a big deal.’

Corin looked doubtful but left it. Din was torn between being relieved Corin respected his privacy and wishing he’d try to draw him out. ‘Do you want to be alone?’

Din was still waiting on the fog of sleep, the panic of the dream to clear completely and it took him a few seconds to realise that Corin meant now, not in some broader sense that encompassed his whole life. Either way, the answer was no but he dodged the question. ‘Sorry if I scared you.’

‘Its fine, I don’t scare easy.’ Corin reached up to turn the light down again. ‘You may as well try and get some more sleep. I’ll stay a while.’ Corin had shuffled around till he was sitting propped in the corner at the opposite end from Din’s head, legs stretched out up Din’s side.’ You know the first night I slept on the ship was the best I’d slept in months.’

They didn’t exactly touch but Din was faintly aware of the warmth through the blankets, the faint vibration of Corin breathing as he gradually fell back into a dreamless sleep.

####################

Din climbed down from the cockpit. ‘We’re about ten hours out.’ He said, glancing towards the military -neat makeshift bed on the floor. Corin though, was somehow right beside him and showed no sign of moving away.

In fact, he crowded closer, blue eyes intense, till the back of Din’s legs hit a bulkhead storage locker and he was pretty much forced to sit as Corin dropped to his knees in front of him.

Before he had a chance to process that the most beautiful man he’d ever met was kneeling between his legs, hands landed on his cuisses and thumbs were gliding off the edge of the beskar to sweep across the fabric of his inner thighs.

‘Sorry to be crude, I don’t know how to do this, if you were anyone else I’d have tried to kiss you-I mean I respect it’s part of your creed.’ Corin added quickly. ‘Just means I need to be a little more forward.’ Din’s brain had stalled, somehow he was incapable of moving or speaking.

Corin’s head dropped a little. ‘If I’ve got this wrong…’It was only when the hands started to withdraw that Din’s neurones started to fire again.

‘No-except….’ The hands paused, a distracting pressure. Din was remembering now the bar owner on Maldo Kreis ‘ _I don’t think he’s in that line of work mando …he looks hungry.’_ Did Corin feel obligated? ‘You don’t owe me anything Corin.’

Corin laughed. ‘You think _that’s_ why? Can’t it just be that I’ve been watching you and talking to you over the last couple of days and…’ Corin swept his eyes over Din, it may as well have been a flamethrower the way every nerve ending was suddenly alight. Corin _wanted_ him. Then the look changed to uncertainty. ‘Unless there’s a chastity thing with the creed?’

Din laid his gloved hands over Corin’s so he wouldn’t withdraw them again. ‘No, there’s nothing…I can…’ Language had deserted him, that is polite basic had, about ten dirty mando’a phrases were on the tip of his tongue.

‘I bet you can.’ Corin sounded predatory. His hands continued to climb Din’s thighs coming to rest in the creases of his hips. His forehead dropped to rest on Din’s breastplate. ‘There’s nothing here that can- you know- go off by accident if I touch it, is there?-aside from the obvious?’

‘No’ Din confirmed hoarsely. He was pulling his gloves off, desperate to touch Corin bare but somehow they were complicated.

‘Let me?’ Corin waited for assent before carefully pulling the gloves away and setting them on the floor. He was obviously fascinated by Dins naked hands and though they were calloused and scarred from combat and keeping the razor crest running Corin found the sensitive spots on the dominant right with his mouth. The left he placed decisively on his ass, pressing till Din got the message and squeezed. ‘Is it ok if I get this out our way?’ Corin plucked at his own shirt.

‘Yes but _I_ …’ Din paused in frustration. How to explain the way of the mandalore to an outsider. It had never been an issue before, either he was with other mandalorians who knew the drill or casual pick ups (very rare) who didn’t want him to take anything much at all off because they liked the bite of the armour.

‘It’s ok, whatever you want is good for me.’ Corin quickly pulled his shirt off, looking a little flustered as he met the gaze of the visor again.

Din’s hands were greedy, taking in the strong planes of muscle, the smoothness of the skin. Above all the warmth of him. Din had forgotten how warm another being could be. Something about the statement didn’t sit right with him though, it was too much the storm trooper, submitting, obeying orders. Not the man who’d so boldly started to seduce him.

‘It’s not just about me Corin. There’s certain things, the helmet for one that I can’t but…we can work it out.’

Corin looked relieved. He pressed his forehead to Dins helmet and it took Dins breath away for a second. He doubted Corin knew what he was doing. A _kov’nyn_ was an intimate thing and yet it felt right. Din deepened the gesture, bringing his hands to Corin’s face and Corin did likewise, his hands landing in the fabric covering Din’s neck, pulling it away, slowly so as to give Din time to object. Din shivered but let him continue, his throat was achingly sensitive and Corin touched it in a way that was both gentle and startling. Pleased with the reaction, Corin used his mouth and that was another level entirely.

‘‘I’d like to lie down with you.’ Corin said, jerking his head to the blankets on the hold floor. They were beyond the point where it could be considered platonic but still there was an innocence to the request.

Din scrambled to his feet taking the opportunity to hold Corin to his chest, Corin twitching slightly as the cold beskar hit his bare skin. He let Corin lead him by the hand to the makeshift bed.

Corin’s confidence had returned as he slowly sank back to his knees, dragging his hands down Din’s body to rest just above his boots. His face was level with Din’s belt and those eyes lingered for a minute as he glanced up. It was an invitation, a tempting one but not today.

‘Give me a minute.’ Din stepped back, he rid himself of his cloak and then began to unfasten his armour. The routine calmed him a little, even though he could feel Corin’s eyes on him. He set it all aside and his boots came off too.

Corin had spread out on the blanket pile, waiting, watching, soft and perfect.

Though Din knew Corin, with his background, must have some scars, he felt like old leather by comparison. As he moved to lie down his knee crunched painfully as if to emphasise the point.

‘You comfortable?’ Corin was solicitous moving around to give Din space to lie, acknowledging the old knee injury with a gentle pat. 

‘Yes.’ Din said, surprised that it was true. Corin took full advantage of the lack of pauldron and breastplate to snuggle close. A leg hooked round Din’s and a hand came to lie flat on his belly. 

Din hadn’t expected something so gentle. He’d not been in a position like this with someone since his adolescence, when he was in the final stage of commitment to the creed. Din wasn’t immune to lust but this was different. He wanted Corin like that but he also wanted him like this. He wanted the comfort of shared warmth, the soft connection of skin on skin. It was, he knew, dangerous, a weakness even.

‘I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not comfortable with.’ Corin said gently, apparently sensing his hesitation. 

Din almost laughed because that, in this situation, was usually his line. The big, scary Mandalorian being so careful not to take advantage.

Corin’s hand tightened in the shirt, dragging it out of his waistband and revealing an inch or two of skin which Corin skimmed with his fingertips. Din expected his belt to be next and his cock twitched in anticipation but instead the hands burrowed up under his shirt. He wriggled under the unexpected attention and Corin looked pleased with the reaction. ‘Ticklish huh?’

Without waiting on a reply Corin found one of Din’s nipples with his mouth, teasing it through the material. The sensation was alien to Din. The wet, tight warmth, the way the coarse fabric rubbed sensitive skin. The way he automatically arched up, his cock seeking friction. He found his hands grabbing to pull Corin closer and in the same moment knew that he was going to have to pull back a little or he’d embarrass himself. It had been a long time since he’d been with anyone and now he was thinking about it too long since he’d so much as relieved the tension himself.

‘Wait…’ Din said, tensing. 

Corin pulled back immediately, sitting back on his heels. ‘Too far?’

Din shook his head. ‘Too much-in a good way.’

Corin looked proud of himself. ‘No rush in hyperspace.’

‘You’re beautiful.’ Din blurted, his head fuzzy with everything.

Corin looked awkward as he lay back down. He didn’t seem to know how to handle compliments in the same way he didn’t know how to handle kindness. Finally he smiled a little. ‘If that was you trying to get in my pants it probably wasn’t necessary, we’re sort of already there.’ He said, obviously trying to cover his embarrassment but also running a hand down his own belly.

Din reached across to rest his own hand on the firm flesh of Corin’s stomach. Delighted with the way it jumped a little under his hand.

‘Please.’ Corin’s breath was ragged as Din opened his pants and released him. Stroking him carefully to get a feel for his reactions, he was so eager he was leaking a little. ‘Only fair to warn you, it’s been a while so I’m probably on a bit of a hair trigger.’

‘It’s been a while for me too.’ Din said, as he took his hand from Corin to rid himself of his belt. Corin moved to help him and quickly had him mostly bared from his cock up to his ribs. Din hadn’t the time to feel exposed before Corin was halfway on top of him. A strong, capable and slightly calloused hand was moving over him and Din was unable to stay still. His hips seeking friction.

‘I can tell – that it’s been a while I mean.’ Corin said pulling gently on Din’s balls. ‘I want to feel you against me.’ Corin shifted to line them up and then wrapped his hand around then both.

Din whimpered at the contact. The feeling of Corin’s strong hand around them both was exquisite but through the haze Din remembered something.

‘Wait.’ Din said and Corin made to move away. ‘No it’s-I just need something.’ He reached across to his belt and pulled out a small tin, handing it to Corin whose eyebrows lifted in amusement.

‘You guys carry lube around on your belt, just in case?’

‘It has a lot of uses.’ Din said smiling unseen as he watched Corin smear his hand with the substance.

‘Yeah, that helps.’ Corin said gasping, as he moved a slippery hand over both their cocks. Head dipping down to kiss Din’s exposed throat. ‘We’re going to make such a mess between us.’

The kiss, dragging over his pulse point, along with Corin’s words had Din desperately pulling Corin closer. Their melded hips had a liquid quality and the friction was just right. It was too good and Din wasn’t going to last long.

‘I know, me too.’ Corin breathed, though Din hadn’t spoken.

Corin came first. Din felt both the warmth flood the skin of his belly and the wave of tension break through Corin’s body. He had latched onto Din’s neck at the peak and the feel of Corin marking him was too much, he bucked up hard with the force of it. Corin hadn’t been wrong about the mess.

Corin was dead weight for a few moments, held close, while Din memorised the the gentle undulations of the muscles in his back.

‘Maker we both needed that.’ Corin said, wriggling free and moving to glance down between them. ‘I’ll go and get something to clean up with.’

‘Can you stay, just for a second?’

‘Sure.’ Corin shifted a little to rest on his chest and Din ran fingers through his hair. He was very aware he wanted to know what it smelled like.

‘It’s Din, Din Djarin. My name I mean.’ Din never used his name, it felt unwieldy in his mouth. Like using a weapon he’d not touched for a while.

Corin looked up at him pleased if a little cautious. ‘Nice to meet you. Now I know, what to call you - next time. Will you stay here with me, while we sleep? If you have to go somewhere else, to take the helmet off, I understand.’

‘ I’d like that.’ Din was still reeling from the idea of this happening again. This time in was Din who pulled Corin down into a _kov’nyn_ that he let linger.

‘Good.’ Corin looked relieved somehow as he pushed back into the gesture. ‘I’ll clean us up or it’s going to get real sticky.’

####################

Din woke up on the floor of the hold. Disorientated for a second till he became aware of the very human warmth he was curled against and remembered. Corin was still asleep and Din didn’t have the heart to wake him. Once he did the spell would be broken and they’d have to move on. On to them parting company, to him flying away from Nevarro alone again with a new clutch of tracking fobs.

He reluctantly left the warm nest of blankets and showered quickly. Though he was trying to use less than half of the meagre hot water supply he lingered over the small, sad ritual of washing the last vestiges of Corin from his belly. Willing away the hopeful swelling in his cock as he turned the water to cold.

Corin was stirring as he moved back through the hold but he headed to the cockpit, carrying his boots so as to be quiet. He had to sort out the ship for landing, besides now he was thinking about it he wanted to give him some space. Maybe now Corin would see it as a mistake, would feel he _had_ been obligated.

Corin pulled himself up into the cockpit just as Din was steeling himself to go back down.

‘I know you can’t have it when I’m here but I brought you stuff.’ Corin slid some food onto the console along with a canteen. A simple gesture but the caring practicality of it struck Din. It would be nice, he thought, to have someone bring you food, to be able to take them food in return.

‘Do you need to concentrate just now?’ Corin broke into his reverie as he surveyed the various screens and switches.

‘Not until we come out of hyperspace.’ 

Corin hovered behind him for a few seconds before moving hands round the side of the chair to his shoulders. Din froze for a second before letting his head fall back, helmet landing heavily. He was disappointed that the headrest stopped him landing on Corin’s chest. His body was responding as if Corin’s touch was a well worn routine, like a weapons drill. Muscles reacting, blood moving. Like he’d touched him a thousand times before instead of just once. ‘Corin you don’t have to…’

‘Din.’ He could hear Corin smiling round the novelty of his name. ‘Relax, still a bit of time. Your head sits really awkward in that thing sleeping on the floor. I considered waking you up, telling you to go to your bunk but…you were kind of clingy.’ Corin sounded amused as he dug thumbs into the base of his skull.

Din screwed his eyes shut in embarrassment under cover of the helmet. Meanwhile what Corin was doing at the back of his neck was teasing out a knot he didn’t know he had.

‘You don’t usually give your weapons away, do you Din? I was thinking, for a Mandalorian that seems like something that means something.’ Din spun the chair to look at him.

‘I’m probably way overstepping but…’ Corin ran a hand over his own unruly hair. ‘I needed to ask because…people get each other off in dark corners in ships all the time…at least they do where I come from. If that’s all this was to you then fine but like I say…’Corin’s hand slid to the blaster in a gesture that in other circumstances would have Din pulling his own.

Din realised he had to say something. He felt some tiny spark of hope at Corin’s wording, _If that’s all this was to you…_ as in _that’s not all it was to me._ He longed to take off the helmet because his response would be written all over his face but he couldn’t, so he had to speak.

He drew a breath and Corin pulled up straighter. ‘I took that blaster off a spice runner. She’d killed two guild members before me. She did this.’ Din tapped the worst ding on his breastplate a starburst of silver across the red patina, ‘and this, she caught the edge of the armour.’ He had released the vambrace and pulled up his sleeve to show the thickened scar at his elbow . A defensive wound but deep and jagged, one of the times he didn’t have bacta on the ship. ‘So, I was kind of attached to it.’

Corin stepped closer and Din pulled off his gloves, reaching out and threading their fingers together. Corin sank down to the floor, resting his head against Din’s knee.

‘What now.’ Din felt Corin’s breath against his leg as he took one hand and ran fingers through his hair. Aware that they didn’t have long till they dropped out of hyperspace.

‘I don’t know. You see how things are with me. It’s not exactly a settled life I have.’

‘Lover on every planet?’ Corin turned to look at him eyebrows raised.

‘I just meant what you see is what there is.’

‘I like what I see though, I thought I made that obvious.’ Corin nuzzled his thigh.

‘I don’t just mean me. I mean the ship, hunting...’ _The creed_. Din left unsaid.

‘I know what you mean, I’m not exactly settled myself.’

That, Din realised, was what had him hesitating. Even if Corin meant what he said now would he regret it down the line, when he had options again. Din sighed.

‘Sorry, I’ve said too much, made you uncomfortable…’ Corin was climbing to his feet almost panicked. Din was wondering how to stop him, explain, when the ship pinged the warning that they were about to come out of hyperspace, allowing Corin to make good his escape. 

‘Corin we’re not done. That is, I don’t want us to be. Understood?’

Corin paused at the door for a second. ‘Roger that.’

‘Sit down. Ship this age-she rattles a bit.’ Though this was true his motivation was more to do with being able to talk to Corin while looking elsewhere, having something else to do with his hands. Better have this conversation now than face to face on the ramp in Nevarro’s hard sunlight.

‘What if you came with me, on the next run?’ Din paused for a few beats waiting on a response, getting only silence he rambled on. ‘I wouldn’t want you to leave the ship anywhere dangerous and I wouldn’t expect you and I to…I mean that goes without saying…’

‘You’re a gentleman, I believe you.’ Corin sounded amused, Din hoped that was a positive sign. ‘…but if you think I’m staying on the ship? Not happening. Apart from anything else, I just got a really nice blaster as a gift and it’d be rude not to use it.’

##################

Din got back to the ship in pensive mood, aware of the new pauldron glinting at his shoulder.

Something about the job didn’t sit right with him. Even allowing for the involvement of imps the generous payment, the secrecy, seemed odd. Then again, he would have the benefit of an inside perspective from the imperial angle, he smiled to himself under the helmet.

He’d left Corin with instructions about leaving the ship quietly to restock on food while he was gone. He didn’t want Karga or the rest of the guild to know he was travelling with someone ,partly because he couldn’t be certain they wouldn’t realise Corin was an imp and partly because he didn’t know himself yet what was going on between them and didn’t want to have to explain it.

Opening the ramp and not finding the ship empty and quiet was a novel experience. He hadn’t quite expected Corin on the floor though, grunting through a set of push ups. His white undershirt sticking to his back with sweat.

‘I hope you don’t mind.’ Corin jumped to his feet, flexible and springy as a loth cat.

‘Of course not.’ Din walked to the back to put his weapons away. ‘ I mean, in here’s ok but there’s probably not room in the cockpit.’ _That and we might end up in the side of a moon if I have to watch that_ , Din thought.

‘Roger that.’ Corin trailed behind him.

‘So, I’ve got another job.’ Din was trying to focus on his blaster and absolutely not on how Corin’s undershirt was practically see through in places.

‘Where are we going?’

Din forced his brain back to the job. ‘Arvala-7 at least that’s how it looks.’

‘This is new.’ Corin indicated the pauldron. ‘Shiny.’

‘Down payment.’ Din said, thinking to himself that was an odd thing too. Hunting didn’t work that way, usually it was body first credit later.

‘Looks good on you.’ Corin reached out to touch the pauldron.

As Din watched Corin trace the outline with a finger an image jumped into his head. Corin wearing pauldrons and a cuirass, showing the galaxy they were _tome._

‘Everything ok?’ Corin pulled his hand away and Din was aware he’d spent several seconds staring.

Din nodded, trying to shake the idea because he had no right to it, not yet. For now, he contented himself with drawing Corin into a gentle _kov’nyn_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don’t know how long it takes to get to Nevarro from Maldo Kreis. Since I had the idea of their relationship developing in the cosy confines of the Razor Crest (may it rest in peace) this has been a problem. I did a lot of frantic web searching around this and opinions vary on how long hyperspace travel actually takes. Finally I stumbled on an article with words to the effect that in the Star Wars universe hyperspace travel times bend to fit the plot, not the other way round, that’s good enough for me.

**Author's Note:**

> Dral - strong, powerful 
> 
> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> A couple things...happy to be corrected on my mando’a or frankly anything Star Wars. I’m conscious I’ve bent things to fit the plot. 
> 
> I’ve got a Corin POV of this. Very much WIP at the moment but can post if anyone is interested.


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